Buy what exactly do people tell TxDOT when they report a litterer?

In her newspaper column today, Peggy Fikac mentioned an interesting database we obtained recently of all littering complaints reported to TxDOT last year. If TxDOT can find a matching address to a reported license plate, the agency sends a friendly warning letter and litter bag to the alleged offender.

There’s some interesting patterns in the data. For example, Texas is parched from a record drought, yet cigarette butts were the most frequent type of litter reported by the public. Many people noted the risk of wildfire.

“Don’t Be a Butt!” one commenter wrote. “Keep your cigarettes in the car ashtray and help prevent fires! Thanks!”

Related: Web tools and apps to track weather emergencies in Texas

Some people also caught public workers littering: “I was surprised that the person littering was a DPS officer,” one complainant alleged. “I was disappointed to see (an) officer of the law break the law. The officer should be setting a example for the citizens.”

At least two people spotted litterbugs in fuel-efficient Priuses: “You think you’re green with your Prius but littering hurts the world!”

There was a Biblical commenter who simply wrote: “Revelation 11:18.”

And I was impressed by the reporting skills of this commenter:

“Man was a brunette, heavily built caucasian in tan cargo and tank top, tennis shoes in his early 40s. Threw the following out of parked SUV then drove off: 1 mcDonald’s chicken nugget, 1 piece of toy, 1 kids drink plastic cover, 1 straw, 2 bottles of water – one Kroger, the other brand I don’t recall; a plastic or rubber yellow and grey toy shark, a cardboard case bottom (possibly from a case of bottled water; cheetos empty bag, 2 dirty napkins, McDonalds large french fries holder. I did not confront driver because I was in my car and he was much much much bigger than me.”

You can check out the entire database here.

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